Door construction for vehicles.



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- A. B. TRON. e 000B coNs'TRuc'TloNvFoR VEHICLES.

APPLlCATIQN FILED APR. 1.19.!6.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

3 SHEETLSHEET 1.

A. B. TROTT. oooR CONSTRUCTION' FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION- ElLED APR. l.19.16.

Patented sept. 11,191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@WED T ALFRED B. TIROTT, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

Application led April 1, 1916. Serial No. 88,333.

To all 'whom t may concern.' l

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. TRoT'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Constructions forVehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the body construction of vehicles, moreparticularly adapted to automobile constructions, and has for its objectto provide an improved door construction, whereby a frame may beconnected detachably therewith in position to receive a window whenwithdrawn from the top of the door, said window when in its lowermostposition being concealed within the body of` the door, and said framebeing adapted to have detachably connected therewith the side curtainsof the vehicle top, as well as the top thereof, whereby an effectiveclosed body will be provided.

My invention embodies certain details o f construction, as will behereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 i.f a side elevation ofa'portion of the body and top of an automobile, showingmy improved doorconstruction, with the window thereof in projected position, and withthe detachable frame in position surrounding the same, the side curtainsand top of the vehicle being shown attached to said frame. 0

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view partly 1n elevation and partly insection of a portion of the door and the car body, as well as a portionof the frame, showing in section the means for locking said frame inposition in the car body.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line III- III vof Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the manner of connecting the lower edgeof the top cover with the upper edge of the removable frame.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line V-V of Fig.. 1.

Fig is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the window guides.

Fig. 8 isa similar view partly brokenl away of a guide coperating withthat shown in Fig. 7

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalviews.

In the said drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes the body of anautomobile, and 2 the leather or other flexible top there of. Hinged insaid body in the usual manner is a door 3, the same being hollow on itsinterior to form a pocket adapted slidably to receive therein a window4. Said window embodies the usual sash and glass construction, and nearits lower end has formed in the sash on the interior thereof atransverse groove 5 adapted to receive the free edge of a transverseplate 6, pivoted upon a rod 7 in the upper outer edge of the door 3,said plate 6 being providedwith a suitable oper ating button 8. It willbe obvious that when the window is withdrawn from the door 3 to theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the

plate 6 may be engaged with the groove 5 to' retain said window in itsraised position, as Y shown. The upper edge of the window sash .is alsoprovided with a beading 9, also grooved horizontally on its inner faceto receive the inner edge of the plate 6 when the window is initslowered position within the door 3.

The body of the vehicle on opposite sides of the door 3 is recessed inits top surface at 10 to receive a sliding bolt 11, said bolt passingthrough the depending iiange 12 of a plate 13, fixed to the upper edgeof the body 1 and partially covering said recess 10. Fixed to the bolt11 is a block 14, and disposed between said block and the flange 12 is acoiled spring 15, acting normally to pro ject said bolt 11 toward thedoor 3. Also formed in said body l between said recess 10 and the door 3on each side of said door-is a vertical recess delimited by a casing 16,said casing being apertured for the passage therethrough of the innerend of the bolt 11, as best seen in Fig. 2. This casing is adaptedsnugly to receive a foot 17 projecting from the lower end of a frame 18,said frame extending above the door 3 and being formed with a transverseupper portion connecting its vertical sides, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.As best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, this frame 18 comprises a central portion19, preferably of wood or other suitable material, the

same being inclosed in a metallic casing 20,

lio,

19 of the frame, said slot andgroove being open at t e top, for apurpose hereinafter to be described. The casing 20 upon the inner sideof each vertical leg, as well as across the top, is formed into a flange22 against which the sash of the window 4 is adapted to lit when saidwindow is brought to its raised position. The outer face of the upperhorizontal portion of said frame 18 is provided with a series of studs23 adapted to form the male members of a. series of fastening elements,the female members of which are connected with the lower edge of theflexible vehicle top 2, whereby said top may be connected detachablywith said frame, in a manner readily understood.

in order to guide the window 4 in itswithdrawal from the door 3, Iprovide on each side of the window sash and fixed thereto a groovedguideway 24 having upon its interior surface at its lower end aprojection 25, said guideway embracing a slidable guide 26, said guidebeing provided upon its outer surface substantially midway of its lengthwith a button 27 with which said projection 25 is adapted to contact assaid guideway2t is raised with the window, and whereby said guide 26will, upon said contact, also be raised with said window. Said slidableguide 2G embraces a tongue 26 fixed in the end of the pocket in the door3 and disposed vertically therein, whereby said tongue will act es atrack 4for said guide.

The block 14 has fixed to its upper surface a plate 28, and said platecarries a hand piece 29, and is adapted when the frame 18 is removedfrin the body 1 to project across the opening at the upper end of thecasing 16 to cover the same, said hand piece 29 affording means foroperating said plate 28 as well as the bolt 11.

The removable side curtains 30 of the vehiele top are provided withfastenings similar to those shown in Fig. 4 Afor connection with thertop 2, and along their vertical edges adjacent to the frame 18 areprovided with a series lot headed studs 31, best seen in Fig. 2, whichVengage in the grooves 21 in the .vertical portions of the frame. 18,their `stems passing through the slots 21 in the casings 20, as shown.It will be understood that these headed studs are inserted into i saidgrooves from the top of the frame 18,

the latter being left open at that point.

From the above description it will be understood that my improvedconstruction can be manipulated as followszv-il/hen Yit is de! ,sired toinclose the vehicle body, the top 1 is brought to its open position andthe frames 18 are disposed in position straddling the upper portions ofthe doors 3, said frames eing brought to position by retracting theplates 28 and inserting the legs 17 of said frames into the casings 1(until the bolts 11 register with the recesses in the sides of saidWindow 4 when the latter is legs to lock the same in their adjusted'positions. The side curtains 30 are then brought to position byinserting their headed studs 81 into the grooves 21 at the top of theframe and by connecting their other edges with the edge of the top 2 ina manner readily understood, that edge of the top 2 registering with thetop edge of the frame 18 also being connected thereto as hereinbeforedescribed. By now raising the windows 4, a complete closure ispresented. In raising one of said windows, it will be observed that theguideways 2li thereof are, of course, lifted with it, and when thewindow is approximately half way up, the projections 25 thereon engagesthe buttons 27 on the guides 26, thereby raising the latter to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereby they will act asguides for said window against lateral displacement. When said windowreaches its full open position, it will be maintained in close contactwith the Bange 22 on the casing 20 of the frame 18, both along the sidesof said frame and at the top of the latter, as best seen in Fig. (3. Andwhen said window has been brought to its completely open position, theplate 6 will engage with the groove 5 in the lower inner sash of thesame to maintain it in its raised position. To retract the window to itslowermost position, it is only necessary to raise the plate 6, by meansof the button 8,

to its lowermost position.

It will 'be understood that one object of the frame 18 is to provide arigid support for the adjacent edges of the side curtains 30, as well asfor the edge' of the top 2 Where it overlaps said frame, and thatanother object is to provide a guide for the brought to its projectedposition.

. Having thus described ,my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with al vehicle body, and a door disposed therein, ofa rigid frame detachably but rigidly engaged with said.

bodyand straddling said door and to which the side curtains and top areconnected detachably, and a Window slidable into and.

out of. a pocket in said door and adapted when in projected position tocontact with and fill said frame.

2. The combination with a vehicle body,

a vehicle body, and a door disposed therein,

when said window will be permitted to drop or a rigid frame removablymounted on said body and stred dling seid door, said frame being groovedin its outer vertical edges, and side curtains having their edgesprovided with studs adaptedl slidably to engage the grooves in saidframe.

d. The combination with e vehicle body, and a door disposed therein, ofa rigid freine removably mounted on said body and straddling said door,e Vehicle top adapted to be connected detachably with the top edge ofsaid frame, vsind side curtains adapted to be connected detechably withsaid top, and along one edge provided with headed studs adapted toengage similarly shaped recesses in the sides oi' said frames, saidstuds being inserted into and removed from said recesses at the top endsof the latter.

5. The combination with a vehicle body, e top, and a door disposedtherein, of e frame adapted to be Connected detsohably with said top andcomprising a top and sides and having depending legs adapted detachablyto enter vertical recesses in the vehicle body on opposite sides of saiddoor,

6. The combination with e vehicle body, and a door disposed therein, ofa frame eo1nprising a top and. sides and having depend ing legs adaptedto enter vertical recesses in the vehicle body on opposite sides of saiddoor, and bolts engaging said legs to lock the saine in their u dj ustedpositions.

7.' The combination withV a vehicle body, and a, door disposed therein,oi' a frame comprising a. top and sides end having depende ing legsadapted to enter vertiead recesses in the vehicle body oii oppositesides of said door, springepressec'i bolts disposed in re cesses in theAiop edge of the our body and adapted to engage seid legs to loclr themin their mijusted pesitions, and cover plates connected with seid boltsand adapted when seid frame is withdrawn from position 'to over-lie andconceai seid leg,- receiving reoessee.

8. The combination with :L vehicle body, and a door disposed therein, ofe Window vertically .movable in a. pocket in. seid door, and a. platepivotiilly disposed along the inner top edge of said door and adapted toengage a groove in the lower sash of said window when the iatter isrojectedv to retain said 'window in its projected position.

9. The combination with ay vehicle body, and a door disposed therein, ofa Window vertically movable in ay pocket in said door, short 'oovedguideways .fixed to the. sides eiE ser indow, projections in the bottoniof seid gni `eways, longer grooved guides ernbraced hy said guideways,`buttons en the exterior of said guides adapted to contacted with by saidprojections when the Window and guideways ere raised part Way, whereby afurther iiiit of said Window Will also lift said guides, and tongues inthe door body embraced by said guides whereby said windows when raisedwill be guided and maintained in vertical position.

in 'testimony whereof hereunto set my hand this 22nd dey of March, 1916ALFRED B, TRQTT.

